When Salman Khan launched his YouTube channel, Being The Salman Khan, the expectation might have been a celebrity destination for fans looking for behind-the-scenes moments, personal updates or glimpses of his life beyond films. Instead, the actor has introduced a channel aimed at children, using his familiar screen persona to make learning entertaining.
In his initial videos, Khan appears as both a teacher and a student, drawing on his signature mannerisms and body language to create playful lessons. He subsequently clarified that the content was intended for children, combining fun, family and education. The channel had crossed 132K subscribers by October 16.
For a celebrity whose name carries decades of recognition, the move opens up a different proposition. What happens when a star builds a content property of their own? Could Khan be the flag bearer of a larger trend unfolding? And if these channels gain traction, can they become advertising platforms that justify the premium associated with a celebrity’s name?
Vivian Albert, Head of New Business at popkorn, sees a larger business opportunity in celebrities building their own digital properties, moving beyond one-off endorsements to sustained brand partnerships. However, he believes the commercial proposition must extend beyond the star’s popularity. “A famous name can command attention, but attention alone is not a business outcome. The question for a marketer is what the property offers beyond the celebrity's existing reach. Does it provide access to a relevant audience, a distinctive content environment or an opportunity to build an association over time?”
Albert expects more celebrities to explore this space, but says success will depend on the content itself. “The real test is whether the content develops an identity and a viewing habit beyond the personality driving it.”
But for now, if we focus on Khan’s channel, who would be the decision-makers? Children may watch the videos, yet parents remain important gatekeepers when it comes to the content their children consume and the products they use. For brands, an association with a familiar celebrity could offer an advantage, but the content must also feel trustworthy and relevant to families.
Siddhartha Singh, CEO and Managing Partner of Infectious Advertising, believes the channel's potential lies in creating a repeatable experience. “The real opportunity lies in building a consistent content property that children want to return to and parents are comfortable allowing them to watch.”
He sees toys, games, books, learning platforms, educational technology and stationery as natural categories for the channel. Nutrition, personal care and family-focused brands could also explore the opportunity, provided the content and messaging are suitable for the age group. Brands could go beyond conventional advertisements through branded learning experiences, interactive content and storytelling.
Karan Korke, Co-Founder and CMO of The Healthy Binge, an Indian healthy snacking brand also sees the channel’s potential through the lens of brand fit. For a snacking brand, the appeal would depend on whether the content offers “a channel to engage consumers in a way that feels natural to their content consumption.” But he also adds, “While celebrity-led properties may command a premium, niche creators and non-celebrity channels can offer more targeted engagement and stronger audience alignment.”
The celebrity premium highlights the central commercial question. Khan's recognition may give the channel an advantage over a new creator property, but does that automatically make it a better advertising investment?
Sandeep Singh Saini, Vice President of Growth at Team Pumpkin, cautions against equating a celebrity's popularity with influence among younger audiences. “Salman Khan’s celebrity equity could command a premium, but his popularity among established fans should not automatically be equated with influence among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. These younger audiences have different content preferences and creator affinities, so the channel will need to demonstrate that it can attract and retain them.”
Saini points to an interesting angle, noting that Salman Khan wore Being Human apparel in the channel’s first video. While it is unclear whether this was intentional, the appearance could help build brand recall among younger viewers over time, even if they are not immediate consumers. He also highlights that brands concerning nutrition and fitness would need to be age-appropriate, given the channel’s young audience. YouTube’s restrictions on personalised advertising on ‘Made for Kids’ content could also influence how brands reach and measure this audience.
For advertisers, the evaluation would need to go beyond subscriber numbers. Average video views, audience retention, engagement, audience composition and the cost of reaching the intended audience would offer a more meaningful picture of the channel's commercial potential. A smaller channel with a more relevant audience could deliver better returns at a lower cost, even without the recognition that comes with a major celebrity.
There may also be a case for using these channels alongside other creator partnerships rather than treating them as competing options. Albert suggests that a celebrity-led property could be used to establish awareness, while specialist creators can demonstrate a product's benefits and build consideration among a more focused audience. The value would lie in how each contributes to the campaign, rather than in the size of the celebrity's following alone.
For now, Being The Salman Khan is still at an early stage, and its subscriber count alone cannot establish whether it will become a commercially viable property. As Saini says “The channel's long-term value for brands will depend on whether it can build a loyal audience. A pilot campaign could help advertisers assess its effectiveness before making a larger investment.”
